


Affection

by Elizabeth_Inkheart



Series: The Skeld Series [2]
Category: Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Black doesnt know how humans work, Black doesnt know how to express his feels, Character colors are identified by names, Childhood Trauma, F/M, Fluff, Hoooh boy did the tags change, I am sorry in advance, Imposters are aliens, M/M, The Chef STILL Knows, There be Mini Crewmates, Welp there be ANGST, White is in denial, mentions of rape/non-con, tons of feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:47:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26923861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elizabeth_Inkheart/pseuds/Elizabeth_Inkheart
Summary: WARNING: This story won't make sense unless you read part 1 of the Skeld Series, To Be an Imposter. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do in order for everything to make sense.Blackstone returns from his accelerated course at the Academy and reclaims his spot as the Chief Security Officer on the skeld. With the two reunited, Henry takes it upon himself to teach Blackstone human culture.
Relationships: Lime/Orange (Among Us), White/Black - Relationship
Series: The Skeld Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1955758
Comments: 232
Kudos: 206





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here's part 2!
> 
> I noticed that a lot of you wanted to see more fluff between Henry and Blackstone so I decided to start another story that is based specifically around them trying to figure out the kind of the relationship they're in. Much fluff. Good shit. Enjoy.

Henry’s leg bounced up and down as he sat strapped to his seat in the small transport ship. He felt nervous… and he didn’t know why. John Brown, who sat next to him, noticed his nervous twitch and placed a hand on Henry’s shoulder. Henry turned to meet the silent chef’s eyes. Brown gave a reassuring nod, and Henry nodded in response. He forced himself to take a deep breath. Everything will be fine. The transport ship began to rumble as it enters Earth’s atmosphere, and Henry’s heightened nerves make him involuntarily grip the support handles at his sides. Evergreen glanced up from where he was sitting and scoffed. “What do you have to be scared about, Captain?” Henry shot Evergreen a look. Aquamarine spoke up from where she was to Evergreen’s right in a patronizing voice. “Don’t tease him! He hasn’t seen his friend for almost a year! I’m sure your nerves would get the best of you too if _you_ got separated from your best friend.” Evergreen huffed and folded his arms. Henry didn’t speak as the ship began to land.

Once off the ship, Henry and his fellow crewmates marched briskly across the MIRA Academy campus. They were going to be late at this point… The group walked into the main amphitheater building. Rounds of applause could be heard from inside the concert hall and the crew stood patiently near the doors as the rounds of applause continued. After a few more moments, the applause began to die down and people began filing out of the concert hall. Various Graduates were posing for photos and family members as more and more people began filing out of the Concert hall. Henry’s heartbeat quickened now that they were actually here. _What if he act’s different? What if he looks different? Will we still share a lot in common?_ Questions continued to pommel his thought process as his heart felt like it was doing a dance routine.

Henry closed his right eye. His prosthetic left one began to magnify the faces of the other people in the distance and sure enough, Henry caught a glimpse of dark skin and spiked frills not too far away. As Blackstone marched out of the concert hall, diploma in hand, his four red eyes immediately met Henry’s blue ones. Instantly, he began sprinting towards Henry at full speed and Henry was so surprised at his friend’s energetic reaction he actually took a step back. Blackstone surged forward and used his coiled tendrils to lift Henry up and spin him around a few times. He let out a hearty laugh as he lowered Henry and pulled him into a suffocating bear hug. The other crewmates cheered as the two embraced for what felt like forever, yet not quite long enough all the same. Blackstone pulled away and Henry knew if his alien friend had a mouth, he’d be smiling from ear to ear.

“Henry! You came! This is such a wonderful surprise!” Henry beamed at his friend as he struck a nonchalant pose. “Well, I was in the solar system at the time… so I… Y’know… Figured I’d drop by.” Blackstone’s laughter resonated through Henry’s chest and he could’ve sworn his heart melted. It felt _so good_ to hear his voice again... As Blackstone began giving hugs and greetings to the other crewmates that had come to congratulate him, Henry looked his friend over. Blackstone was slightly taller than he had remembered, his frills were a bit longer, and his overall lanky body had filled in more to reveal very toned muscles that were quite apparent underneath his uniform. He wasn’t malnourished anymore. His uniform was neat, had several medals pinned to the left side, and had no sleeves on it to allow for his tendrils to move freely. He had never seen Blackstone’s imposter form wear clothes before, and to his surprise, he looked _good._

“Henry.”

Henry snapped out of his daze at the sound of Blackstone’s voice. Blackstone’s four red eyes met his and he asked Henry the question again. “Do you want to go grab something to eat before we go to the ship?” Henry thought about the offer. He didn’t particularly feel hungry. Before Henry could say anything, John Brown cleared his throat. The crewmates turned to see John make a deadpanned face and Blackstone laughed again. “Sorry, John. Of course, you can make something for us on the ship.” He turned to face his Captain. “I’m allowed to leave with you since I already have a position and a ship I’m assigned to. So, lemme go grab my trunk from my dorm and I’ll meet you at the ship.” Henry nodded and watched as Blackstone jogged off at a comfortable pace (for an imposter) then turned to his crew. “Well, we better get back to the ship. Knowing him, he’ll ask us to wait for him, then beat us there anyway.” The crewmates all chuckled in agreement as they headed back towards the transport ship.

They didn’t have to wait long for Blackstone, who could pick up his trunk with relative ease, and before long Blackstone was back on the New Skeld with the rest of the crewmates. The crewmates all greeted him with applause and Blackstone felt so loved that he probably would’ve started crying… if he had tear ducts, that is. He saw mostly familiar faces, however there were a few he didn’t recognize. Things had changed since he was last aboard the ship. Mr. Citrus walked up and gave Blackstone a short hug. “Stone, its great to see ya again. How was the Academy?” Blackstone shrugged. “It was… an interesting experience to say the least.” Blackstone turned to face the young woman in lime green that stood alongside the Chief Medical Officer. “Who’s this?”

Mr. Citrus introduced the two of them. “Blackstone, this is my younger sister Kiwi. She transferred over as a nurse to take Mary’s place for the time being.” Blackstone’s face grew worried. “Why? What happened.” Mr. Citrus chuckled sheepishly. “Oh, she’s fine. She’s just expecting.” Blackstone tilted his head. “Expecting… what?” Henry chimed in. “She’s expecting a child, Stone.” Blackstone blinked in confusion. “Expecting a child for what?” Mr. Citrus couldn’t help but laugh and Henry stifled a chuckle as he led Blackstone away from the doctors. “We’ll uh… We’ll have to work on your… _human terminology_ a bit more while you’re here.” Blackstone shrugged, still unsure what he was missing. “Alright. If you say so.”

The rest of the day went by rather quickly and before long, Henry found himself back in his quarters staring blankly at the ceiling. His heartrate couldn’t seem to slow down and no matter what he did or where he looked, the only thing on his mind was Blackstone. _He’s back._ He smiled as he remembered how he felt as Blackstone had picked him up and spun him around. His skin tingled at the thought of feeling the sensation of Blackstone’s skin against his and he shook his head in surprise. A Captain shouldn’t harbor those types of thoughts. Besides… He and Blackstone were just really close friends… right?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henry can't sleep...Neither can Blackstone.

Henry turned and glanced at his alarm clock from within his quarters. The clock read 12:37 am and Henry still couldn’t fall asleep. With a frustrated huff, Henry got out of his bed. He slipped some slippers on his feet, and quickly threw on a loose-fitting t shirt. Ever since Blackstone had arrived on the New Skeld his nerves were dialed to 11 and he couldn’t calm down to save his life. Hell, he felt as jittery as a young child on Christmas Eve trying to catch a peek of Santa coming down the Chimney. Which was ridiculous. He was a _Captain._ A man of prowess and self-control. Not only that but he was _good_ at being a Captain. His entire reputation revolved around him keeping a level head in the direst of situations and always accomplishing his goal… _So why was he so jittery?_

Henry huffed once more as he left his quarters. He silently made his way to Admin. Maybe doing some boring tasks will be enough to calm himself. As he walked through the dimly lit hallways, he forced himself to breathe and focus on the low thrumming of the ship’s engines. Henry walked past Admin to grab a cup of water, then began going over paperwork. Henry was there for another hour or so working silently, reading manuals, signing reports and sending them to MIRA HQ. Despite everything he did to busy himself, he was still jittery. His hands would tremble slightly if he held them still for too long and whenever he wasn’t focusing on work, all he could think of was Blackstone. It was almost as if his brain was having difficulty processing that his friend was back, which seemed ridiculous. Of course, Blackstone would come back. This was no surprise. So then _why… Why couldn’t he stop thinking about him?!_

Even more frustrated than before, Henry stood, gulped down the rest of his water, then left Admin. He began wandering the ship to try and calm himself. As he walked past the upper engine room and turned to enter the reactor room, a clicking noise caught his attention. Henry turned where he was and kept listening. It was coming from Security. Curious, Henry slowly inched towards the Security room entrance and poked his head inside to get a look. Blackstone was there diligently typing away on his keyboard wearing nothing but a pair of pajama pants that didn’t quite seem to fit his abnormally shaped legs properly. From where he stood, Henry couldn’t tell what his friend was typing but that didn’t matter. Blackstone was up. Maybe talking to him will help put his tap-dancing heart at ease. Henry watched his friend continue to type things on his keyboard for a few more seconds and was about to announce his presence when Blackstone spoke.

“Isn’t it rude in human culture to stare, Henry?” Henry’s heart skipped a beat. Surprise was immediately chased away with a shake of his head and a warm smile. _Of course, he knew I was watching him._ Henry walked into the room and as he did so, Blackstone turned to face his Captain. “What gave it away, Stone? Could you smell me or something?” Blackstone’s right arm unfurled into two tendrils. One gestured towards his frills, and the other towards Henry’s chest. “I could hear your heartbeat clear as day.” Sure enough, Henry noticed Blackstone’s frills were vibrating ever so slightly and it only made his heartbeat faster. Blackstone noticed. “Your heart is beating really fast and I don’t think that’s healthy for you. Is everything ok?” Henry felt embarrassment build in his gut as he tried replying as nonchalantly as possible. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just couldn’t sleep.” Blackstone rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Neither could I.” He chuckled. Henry’s heart somersaulted at the sound. He needed to focus on something else.

Henry gestured towards Blackstone’s large array of computer monitors. “What were you typing?” Blackstone’s frills undulated slowly and the colored markings on his body grew a darker shade in color. _Was he embarrassed?_ Blackstone was hesitant as he replied. “I… I was tryna… figure out what _expecting_ meant…” Henry huffed out a laugh as he smiled. “Well?” He asked. “Any progress?” Blackstone shook his head. “Your English language uses a lot of the same words for so many different reasons. It’s hard to keep track of them all.” Blackstone turned with obvious frustration and began typing again. Henry grabbed Blackstone’s tendril gently. “I could help you. We could… I dunno… Sit down and go over human stuff if you want.” Blackstone thought about it. “Well, I’d do anything if it meant spending time with you, so why not?” Blackstone got up and left the room casually and Henry had to take a minute to compose himself. _Does he really not know what that implies?_

The two sat facing each other on the couch in the recreational room of the ship. Henry was busy explaining what pregnancy was and what that meant for human culture. Blackstone was trying his hardest to understand, but he looked just as confused as he felt as he spoke. “So…when someone says they’re expecting something, it doesn’t deal with pregnancy. But when someone simply says they’re expecting, it… does?” Henry nodded with a smile on his face. “Yeah that’s it. You’re grasping this pretty quickly I’d say.” Blackstone’s brow scrunched up and he was deep in thought for a few moments before he asked a question. “Henry, what does it mean to… _compliment_ someone?” Henry was taken aback slightly at the question but answered it anyway. “To pay someone a compliment is basically to make a positive remark about someone. It’s usually made to make someone feel good about themselves, or to show to that person that you care about them.” Blackstone pondered it over for a second. “So, I can compliment you since I care about you.” Henry’s heart jolted again. “…Yes.” Blackstone felt more confident. “Ok then I would like to compliment you.” Henry chuckled at Blackstone’s formal tone. “Alright, go ahead.”

“You have the highest-ranking performance rate of any Captain in MIRA fleet history.”

Henry burst out laughing. Blackstone looked confused and… a bit hurt. “What?... Did I not do that correctly?” Henry forced himself to stop laughing but giggles still peppered his voice as he spoke. “Stone, compliments aren’t supposed to be statistical facts.” Blackstone blinked as he processed what the Captain said. “But I thought you’d be happy about your success as a Captain…” Henry splayed his hands as he retorted. “Well… yes, but…” Henry waved at the air as he gave up on trying to explain. “Why don’t I just give you an example?” Blackstone adjusted himself so he fully faced the Captain. “Alright. I’m listening.”

“A compliment would be something like… I like the color of your eyes, or… Your frills are very cute when they’re moving or… Your skin is _unbelievably_ smooth.” Blackstone glanced down and noticed Henry’s hand was resting on one of his tendrils. _Were these examples or was he actually complimenting me?_ Henry snatched his hand off of Blackstone’s tendril and cleared his throat. “Anyway, those are… a few examples.” Henry avoided eye contact. Blackstone looked his captain over. His face seemed to have a pinker color to it than normal. His hands were fidgeting with one another absent mindedly. Blackstone could hear Henry’s heart racing and he could tell he felt… embarrassed about something… But he wasn’t entirely sure what.

“May I try again?” Blackstone asked. Henry glanced at him. “Uh… Yeah sure. Go ahead.” Blackstone squinted his eyes as he looked over the tiny details in Henry’s face. He was silent for a moment, contemplating what to say. Finally, he just went for it. “Well… The way your blonde hair shimmers when it catches the light reminds me of sunshine. Your freckles contrast excellently with your eye color which make them seem to sparkle like a… what's the word… a _gemstone._ ” Henry turned to meet Blackstone’s eyes as Blackstone continued. “Your presence never ceases to put me at ease, and your hair is the softest thing I’ve ever felt. If I were allowed to, I’d probably touch it all day and still never get tired of the sensation. Every time I make you laugh, I feel like my life is complete and I would do _anything_ just to see your smile for a few seconds longer.”

Silence blanketed the two of them as they just stared into each other’s eyes. Neither were unsure of what to say, or even _do._ Blackstone broke eye contact and Henry noticed the colored markings on his body grow darker again. “Did I do it properly this time?” Henry blinked as he tried to regain control of himself. _Be still my beating heart..._ “Uh… yeah that was…” He cleared his throat again. “That was very sweet. Thank you.” Blackstone seemed to relax further into the couch at hearing he did a good job. “Good. Thank goodness I have you to teach me human culture. If I didn’t, I’d still be trying to figure out what expecting meant right now.” The two laughed then faced the window in front of them and stared at the stars. Silence began its melody in a smooth cadence and Blackstone could practically hear Henry’s heartbeat harmonizing with his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn... Who knew Blackstone was such a smooth talker...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blackstone accidentally says something he doesn't mean and Henry gets embarrassed. Also, Henry introduces Blackstone to music.
> 
> For those of you who want to know what they were listening to, it was Louis Armstrong's La Vie En Rose. His music is something I grew up listening to and it has never failed at making me feel happy.

Henry awoke and immediately noticed that he wasn’t in his quarters. In fact, he wasn’t even lying down. He could feel himself leaning against something warm and comfortable…what was it? Henry opened his eyes and sat up slowly. Sure enough, as soon as he did so, the warmth next to him shifted… Blackstone groaned as he flexed his tendrils after they had been pinned under Henry’s body for several hours. Henry was left speechless for a few moments as he took in his surroundings. Blackstone shot his captain a warm gaze. “Good morning Captain.” Henry rubbed his eyes as he asked in a groggy voice. “Stone, was I sleeping on you?” Blackstone continued massaging his sore tendrils as he spoke. “Yes, you were. But I didn’t mind.”

Henry blinked as he put some distance between him and his friend. Suddenly, a question came to mind. “Shit, what time is it?” Blackstone handed Henry a tablet as he answered his Captain’s question. “It’s well past noon. But don’t worry. I assigned everyone morning tasks from here so that our day would still be on schedule.” Henry grabbed the tablet from Blackstone’s tendril. Sure enough, the tasks had all been assigned to everyone and most of them were already completed. Henry sighed as he rubbed his face drowsily. “What would I do without you, Stone?” Blackstone looked away as he thought for a second before returning his gaze to the Captain. “Sleep past noon and spend the rest of the day behind schedule is my guess.” He handed a mug of fresh coffee to Henry from seemingly out of nowhere, and Henry couldn’t help but smile. “You really thought of everything. Huh?” Blackstone shrugged nonchalantly. “I try my best.”

By the time Henry had gotten dressed and returned to the Cafeteria, the crew were having lunch served by John Brown. Blackstone was sitting with a seat beside him vacant. Once he saw the captain enter, he waved and gestured to the empty seat beside him. Henry hesitated, then decided to oblige and sit next to his alien friend. Almost as soon as Henry sat down and removed his helmet to eat, John Brown set down a plate of fresh food and Henry could hear his stomach growl with hunger. Henry began eating and Blackstone leaned back to slip a chunk of raw meat off his plate and into his stomach mouth. It was still disorienting for some of the crew members to watch Blackstone eat, so he tries to hide it as best as he can underneath the cafeteria table. Blackstone noticed that Henry was unusually silent. So, he asked a question to try and… what was the phrase… initiate conversation?

“Did you enjoy sleeping with me last night, Henry?” Henry nearly choked on his drink as his mind took a completely different tangent. He glanced at Blackstone who was staring back at him innocently. His four eyes were clearly eager to get an answer from his captain. Azul glanced up from where he was when he heard Blackstone’s question. After glancing between the alien and the captain a few times, he smirked and went back to eating his lunch. “Uh… yeah… your shoulder is… _ahem_ … very comfortable…” Blackstone, not noticing, continued talking. “Well, good. There’s much more I’d like your help with, and I think you’re probably the best person for me to practice with.” More crewmates were glancing at them now and Azul was snickering from across the table. Henry could feel his face heating up and he felt so embarrassed he needed a moment to himself. Henry stood, and left the cafeteria with a red face, and Blackstone was left looking after him confused as to what he said to trigger such a reaction. Blackstone noticed Azul still snickering despite the other crewmates having returned to their conversation, and he shot the blue suited crewmate a patronizing look. Azul’s snickering stopped almost immediately.

Blackstone stood and left the cafeteria. Henry was a good way ahead of him but Blackstone could recognize his scent easily since Henry smelled the nicest of all his other crew members. Blackstone walked briskly down the dorm room hallway and noticed Henry’s quarters were open. Henry’s scent was strongest over here which meant that was most likely where he was. Blackstone approached the entrance. Upon looking inside, he saw Henry sitting on his bed unmoving with some sort of strange objects covering his ears. Blackstone knocked on the doorframe to get his captain’s attention. Upon hearing the noise, Henry pulled the strange objects off his ears, pressed a button on his tablet, then beckoned his friend into the room. Blackstone entered yet seemed… stiff… and hesitant as he approached Henry’s bed.

“Captain, I’d like to apologize for what happened in the cafeteria. I didn’t realize I had said something to upset you.” Henry sighed and pat the empty space on his bed. Blackstone sat obediently. “Stone, what happened in there was not your fault. You didn’t realize you had said another phrase with a double meaning, and Azul was just teasing me. I’m not upset.” Henry’s words still didn’t dissuade the twinge of guilt Blackstone felt and his curiosity got the best of him. “What was it that I said that… had a double meaning?” Henry huffed out a laugh. _Of course, he’d ask._ “Well, the phrase that has a double meaning is ‘sleeping with’ someone.” Blackstone’s eyes were full of focus. “And… it means… well…” Henry leaned in and explained what the phrase meant in a hushed tone. Blackstone’s spine straightened slightly as his eyes widened in realization. “…Oh…” The colored markings on his body darkened in color again and his frills were trembling with embarrassment. “I didn’t know…” Blackstone said in a small voice.

Henry rested a hand on Blackstone’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault you didn’t know, Stone. Like I said. I’m not mad at you in any way.” Blackstone nodded but still didn’t look convinced. His eyes avoided the Captain’s as he acknowledged what he said. Henry looked around for something to cheer his friend up. He noticed what he had been holding in his right hand and got an idea. “Stone, do you know what these are for?” Henry held up the strange objects that had been on his ears. Blackstone shook his head. Henry held them out so Blackstone could grab them and take a closer look. “These are headphones. They’re used to play a concentrated stream of sound into someone’s ears for better audio quality. They’re usually used for music." Blackstone began looking at the strange device in his hand as he asked. “What’s music?”

Henry’s jaw dropped. “You don’t know what music is???” Blackstone shook his head and shrugged. Henry began explaining. “Music is… well, its sort of…” Henry sighed. “Let me just show you.” Henry reached over to his tablet and pressed a button. From the device’s speakers came a sound. It was met with other sounds in a slow rhythmic cadence and Blackstone’s frills pulsated with each different sound that came from the small device. Henry was watching, gauging his reaction, and couldn’t help but smile when Blackstone flinched ever so slightly when the trumpet began to play. Blackstone heard the notes and internalized them as the instrument continued its solo. Henry tapped his foot to the beat of the song as the note’s sounds bounced off the walls and danced away the silence in the room.

After about a minute, Blackstone’s head perked up again when a voice began to sing.

_Hold me close and hold me fast_

_The magic spell you cast_

_This is la vie en rose…_

The voice was deep and was layered in a rough texture, Blackstone noticed. Yet, the texture seemed to add to its soft and soothing feel. Blackstone sighed at the foreign sensation while his frills pulsed rhythmically, and he relaxed deeper into where he was sitting on the bed. Henry observed his friend’s reactions with fascination and smiled as Blackstone absent mindedly trilled and closed his eyes to internalize the music better. The trumpet began to play again, and Blackstone tilted his head slightly at the change in volume. As the notes grew into a crescendo, he seemed to lean into the notes as they arrived, and his frills’ movements grew in size.

Just as quickly as the music grew, the song ended, and silence reigned supreme in their ears once more. Blackstone kept his eyes closed for a few moments longer before opening them and releasing a long breath. “Woah…” Henry’s smile grew as Blackstone’s awe remained plastered on his face. “So that’s music?” Henry nodded. “Yeah. We humans have many different types of music and we tend to listen to the different types depending on our mood.” Blackstone pointed towards the now silent tablet. “So, when do you listen to that one?” Henry chuckled as he turned to face the tablet. “I play that one to help me relax. It makes me feel happy.” Blackstone stared longingly at the silent tablet before meeting Henry’s eyes with excitement. “Could you show me more?” Henry tilted his head in surprise at his alien friend’s eagerness to hear more music. “Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's moments like these where I enjoy writing because then I can discover more about my characters along the way... Turns out, Blackstone is a music lover! Expect more on that in the future!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new crewmate enters the picture who Blackstone knew from the Academy.

The crew were called for an announcement at the start of the next day. One by one, colored suits arrived at the center table of the Cafeteria and sat down patiently. Blackstone greeted Henry warmly and sat down across the table from where Henry stood. Henry tried his best not to continuously stare at Blackstone in his custom-made clothing. Evergreen, as usual, was grumpy at having to be woken up so early in order to be on schedule for launch, and John made sure to hand him coffee first. Despite the very _necessary_ beverage, Evergreen still huffed in annoyance upon his arrival. He sat down next to Aquamarine who gave him a pat on his shoulder. At feeling her hand on his shoulder, Evergreen seemed to relax a little and Aquamarine gave him a comforting smile as she asked the Captain “What did you call us here for? And why haven’t we launched yet?”

Henry held up his tablet as he responded. “I got a last-minute message from MIRA last night to continue holding in standard orbit until our new Communication’s officer arrived. Lavender let out a loud sigh. “Finally! I was wondering when Cherry’s replacement was gonna come in! I was getting fed up with working two shifts every day…” Henry shrugged as he retorted. “Well in our defense, you and Blackstone were the only others on the ship that could do the communications tasks and Blackstone was at the Academy.” Lavender waved away what the Captain said and yawned. “Whatever, as long as I get to sleep in for once…” She leaned forward and rested her head on her folded arms. Henry was about to wake her up, but didn’t when he noticed just how _tired_ she was.

Blackstone, however, was wide awake… and a bit frustrated. _A new officer with no forewarning?_ That was a huge risk to the crew’s performance, integrity, and overall security. He would’ve wanted to meet this new crewmate before they had taken off so he could ensure they were safe… _Oh well…_ “When will they arrive?” Blackstone asked. Henry met Blackstone’s eyes and was ever so slightly slower at answering than he would’ve liked. “They should be arriving any minute now. I wasn’t told by MIRA exactly _when_ they’d arrive, but they said soon…”

As if on cue, there was a notification on Henry’s tablet. There was a transport ship docking to the New Skeld. “Oh! They’re here!” Blackstone’s concern was poorly hidden as his spiked frills began pulling backwards into their signature mohawk formation. Henry noticed and chided. “Oh, come on, Stone. Don’t make that face. Maybe they’re really nice.” Blackstone huffed under his breath as his frills continued to vibrate with uncertainty. He watched the hallway as a red suited astronaut turned the corner and took off their helmet. Blackstone’s eyes lit up with recognition as he saw the human before him. “Jessica?!” The girl’s eyes widened as her gaze fell on the black alien before her. “Holy shit! Blackstone?!” Henry’s eyes narrowed slightly. _They know each other?_

The two rushed towards each other and embraced. The other crewmates all seemed surprised at the two of them knowing each other. “Henry spoke up in an all too tense voice. “Stone? You two know each other?” Blackstone turned eagerly and gestured towards the short woman next to him “This is Jessica! She and I were roommates at the Academy!” Jessica enthusiastically nodded “Yeah! We practically did everything together! I can’t believe I’m assigned to _your_ ship!” The other crewmates all seemed happy at knowing Blackstone wasn’t completely alone during his time there. Goldie noticed he hadn’t blinked once ever since he saw Jessica’s face. She was _beautiful…_ Jessica waved towards the other crewmates. “Hi! I’m Jessica Rubens, but everybody calls me Ruby because of my red hair.” Sure enough, Jessica’s hair was a vibrant red and her thick curls bounced around the frames of her face whenever she moved her head. The crew all greeted her warmly save for Lavender who was still snoring at her place at the table. Henry just watched silently with a façade of calm on his face.

Blackstone began introducing Jessica to everyone and letting her know who everyone’s roles were. He saved Henry for last. “And Henry White. The best Captain in MIRA history.” Jessica’s eyes widened even further as she recognized his name. “No way! _The_ Henry White?! The soldier worth a thousand men? _That_ Henry White?!” Henry forced a chuckle as he came over to shake Jessica’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to have you aboard.” Henry clenched Jessica’s hand tightly. Pain was only visible on her face for a fraction of a second as excitement drowned it away again “Wow what a grip!” She rubbed her knuckles gingerly once Henry let go. “I’d expect nothing less from the greatest Captain in all of MIRA!” Henry forced another warm smile and bowed slightly. Jessica turned and began mingling with the rest of the crew while Blackstone sidled up alongside his Captain. “Why did you squeeze her hand so hard? And why is your heart rate elevated?” Henry blatantly ignored Blackstone’s questions as he stiffly turned and asked under his breath “How long have you two been friends?” Blackstone blinked as he was taken aback by the question. “I’ve… known her the entire time I was at the Academy. Why do you ask?” Henry’s shoulders tightened further as he turned to stare at Jessica while she listened to Goldie tell his heroic tale of their capture on the Mercenary ship. “…No reason.”

Blackstone continued looking at his Captain before slipping one of his tendrils around his shoulders. “Well, whatever is bothering you, just know that I’m here for you. Always.” Henry sighed and nodded. “Of course. Thank you, Stone.” Without explanation, Henry walked over to John, asked him to serve breakfast without him, then left the cafeteria without any of the other crew noticing. Blackstone was about to go and follow him when a voice called out to him. “Stone! Why didn’t you ever tell me you were tortured?!” Jessica exclaimed. Blackstone hesitantly joined in on the crewmates’ conversation about past events. However, no matter how drawn he was to the conversation, he still couldn’t stop thinking about the strange scent he picked up off the Captain. _What emotion was that?..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My! Guess I'm gonna have to change the tags and add ANGST back on the tags list! That's gonna be quite the conversation to write...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tags changed? Oh… Well it shouldn’t be too bad, right?... Wait… the RATING changed too?!  
> …Brace yourselves…
> 
> Blackstone confronts Henry on his strange behavior and… well…

Blackstone enthusiastically offered to show Jessica around the ship, and she obliged. The two were laughing practically the entire time they were together, and Henry had a perfect mental count in his head of every time Jessica touched Blackstone in some way along with where, for how long, and with what was said at the time. He couldn’t help himself from doing so, but he could sure as hell hide it. Thankfully neither Blackstone nor Jessica, or the other crewmates that tagged along recognized Henry’s strange lingering behavior as the entourage followed Blackstone and Jessica to the reactor. The tour was almost over. Upon reaching the reactor, Jessica’s eyes widened as she stared at the large complex mechanism before her. Her eyes welled with tears. “I’ve spent my whole life trying to see one of these in person…” Blackstone wrapped a tendril around Jessica’s waist and pulled her into a reassuring side hug. The _only_ time Blackstone ever touched her during this tour. Something in Henry’s chest ached and he pushed the feeling away. He turned away from where his crewmates were and went to begin his tasks. Perhaps later today things would be different.

Henry was walking towards Stone’s office when he caught a glimpse of black from inside the Communications room. Henry doubled back and peered inside the room. Sure enough, Blackstone and Jessica were seated at the Comms computer. Blackstone was pointing out certain things and explaining something to her. Jessica’s eyes never left the computer, and she was taking in every bit of information. Something Henry couldn’t make out was said between them, and Blackstone erupted in boisterous laughter. Henry’s heart clenched at the sound. _Did he ever laugh that way with me?_ Before Henry knew what he was doing, he entered the room and cleared his throat. The two Academy friends turned and upon seeing the Captain there greeted him warmly. Blackstone stood from where he sat. “Hello there, Hen- _Captain_. I finished my tasks early and figured since Jessica was new, she’d need some help knowing where everything was.” Henry forced a smile on his face. “Well, that’s very kind of you Stone, but I think she can handle it on her own. She excelled in communications at the Academy.” Blackstone looked like he was going to retort but kept his thoughts to himself. He gave a curt nod. “Very well, Captain. I’ll go and help the other crew members with their tasks until evening tasks are assigned.”

Blackstone paid no attention to Henry’s strange request until later in the day when the crew were eating lunch. At lunch, Blackstone had chosen to sit next to Jessica. The crew were all talking amongst themselves and from where Henry was sitting, he could see Blackstone nudge Jessica playfully who in return laughed and smacked him lightly on the arm. “Oh, Stop it, Stone!” Henry’s heart skipped a beat. As far as he could tell, only _he_ ever called Blackstone ‘Stone.’ Emotion overrode his logical control and once again, he couldn’t stop himself from acting out. Henry stood, walked over calmly to where Blackstone and Jessica were seated and leaned down so his head was level with theirs. “Hey, sorry to interrupt, guys.” Henry spoke in a falsely cheerful voice. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I need _Stone_ for a second.” Henry hadn’t intended to emphasize ‘Stone’ but if Jessica’s face were any indication, it went by unnoticed. Blackstone obliged and moved to his Captain’s table and sat down alongside him. Whatever made Henry call him away from his friend could be important.

For most of lunch, Blackstone and Henry were talking nothing but efficiency rates and Mission Reports that needed to be taken care of. Blackstone was puzzled. Sure, this can be seen as _important…_ But Henry usually doesn’t talk to him about these sorts of things. _And what is that emotion he was smelling?!_ He didn’t like it. Blackstone waited for Henry to pause in his conversation before asking. “Henry, what’s going on? Why did you _really_ call me over here?” Henry leaned forward. His façade of calm all but faded as he spoke under his breath. “Stone, I want you to stay away from Jessica.” Blackstone’s frills pulsed with surprise. “What? But… why?” Henry was silent for a moment before answering in a terse voice. “I’m not getting a good feeling from her, Stone.” Blackstone’s spiky frills once again pulsed in surprise. “But Henry, you can trust her. I’d trust her with my life if I needed to.” Henry’s heart felt like it was punched. He took a deep breath. “Just…promise me you’ll distance yourself from her.” Blackstone looked his Captain over… _Something was wrong_. “Alright.”

When lunched ended, Blackstone followed closely behind his Captain. Henry turned and entered Admin. Blackstone followed and, as soon as he was inside Admin, hit the Confidential Button. The emergency door to Admin shut closed and the cameras turned off. He was locked inside with the Captain. Henry looked up from where he was at the large center table. “Stone what is this?” Blackstone folded his tendrils. “Henry, we need to talk.” He said in a demanding voice. Henry blinked in surprise. Blackstone had never taken this tone with him before. “Ok…” He said cautiously. “What do we need to talk about?” Blackstone pointed to the shut Admin door. “What was that back then? You and I both know you don’t _give a shit_ about MIRA Command Reports, so why are you separating me from my friend?” Henry’s chest tightened. He stayed silent. Blackstone continued as he got closer. “And you’re acting strange. Your heart rate has been elevated and beating in an irregular pattern all day today. You smell heavily of an emotion I can’t recognize and somehow this all has to relate to Jessica.” Blackstone approached and placed his tendrils on the Captain’s shoulders. “Henry, what’s wrong?”

Henry stared into Blackstone’s four red eyes for a moment before removing Blackstone’s grip on him gently. He turned away and was silent for a moment before finally asking a different question. “What is Jessica to you?” Blackstone was taken aback by the question. “What do you mean?” Henry turned to face his friend again and spoke in a very frustrated tone. “Jessica! What is she to you? Your friend? Your acquaintance? Your lover? What?!” Blackstone took a step back at the Captain’s intensity. “She’s just a friend!” He answered defensively. Then another thought came to him. “Wait…why do you care?” Henry froze where he was. His mind was getting torn apart by all of the suppressed emotions inside him and he couldn’t think clearly. He wanted so desperately to let Blackstone know why he felt the way he did, but something was holding him back and he could not tell for the life of him what it was. Blackstone continued waiting for an answer. He repeated his question. Still no answer.

Blackstone huffed several moments later when he found Henry without a reason, and himself without an answer. “Captain,” Blackstone warned. “If you don’t answer me soon, I’ll figure out the answer myself.” Henry snapped out of his internal battle. “ _Don’t you dare._ ” Blackstone took a step forward. Henry retreated in kind. “Henry, please. I want to help you!” Blackstone continued following after Henry. Henry ran towards the other side of the Admin table. Faster than he could react, Blackstone had vaulted over the table and grabbed his forearms. Henry struggled against Blackstone’s iron grip, but he knew it was no use. “Henry please…” Blackstone said in a soothing voice. “This isn’t the stoic Captain that I’ve grown so fond of… And I want him back.” Without warning, Blackstone stared deeper into the Captain’s eyes. His brow furrowed in concentration and his frills began vibrating. Henry could feel a… _pressure_ growing on his temples. Like if his brain was being poked and prodded. Henry continued writhing against Blackstone’s grip. “Stone _please…_ ” He begged weakly.

Panic was beginning to take hold of Henry as Blackstone pushed deeper into Henry’s mind. His entire consciousness screamed at the thought of Blackstone finding out, but it was no use. He could feel Blackstone’s presence in there… Searching…past the anger, past the desperation and through the vast ocean of inner turmoil… until it found what it was looking for. Blackstone’s eyes widened and his colored skin markings darkened drastically as he read what Henry was thinking… what he was _feeling…_ “ _Henry…”_ As the pressure in his head subsided, Henry pushed himself forward trying to close the distance between him and Blackstone. Blackstone knew. No point in hiding it now. All at once his panic subsided and something else took hold. Something unfamiliar… Blackstone shrank away and backed up. He held up his tendrils weakly. “Henry, I didn’t realize…” Henry closed the distance between them again. Blackstone went to back up more but found himself against the Admin table. He was trapped. Henry grabbed Blackstone by the shoulders as he pulled himself closer. Blackstone was trembling ever so slightly. “ _Henry…”_

Henry shushed Blackstone gently. “Stone, _please…”_ he begged. Henry’s hips bucked involuntarily against Blackstone’s thigh. A tremble escaped from Blackstone. Henry’s hand caressed the side of Blackstone’s face as he asked again. “ _Please…”_ Henry pressed harder against him. His other hand slipped underneath Blackstone's shirt and pressed into the small of Blackstone's back. His friend trembled again in response. Blackstone shook his head and pried himself away from his Captain. “ _No.”_ Henry’s body protested the lack of touch and he instinctively followed after Blackstone who was retreating further away from his Captain. Fear was showing in Blackstone’s eyes as he continued to speak in a trembling voice. “Henry _please,_ I didn’t realize you felt this way…” Henry grabbed Blackstone again and was about to do… _something…_ when he noticed just how much Blackstone was frightened. Henry released Blackstone who was trembling visibly. “Are you… _afraid of me?”_ Blackstone ignored the question as he begged again. “Henry, _please… I don’t want this…”_

Henry backed away in surprise. “But what about what’s been going on between us? The compliments? Us sleeping together? The music? What did you _think_ was going on at the time?” Blackstone shrank further at Henry’s tone and Henry reeled back at the sight of him afraid. He’d never seen Blackstone afraid before. And to see Blackstone afraid of _him…_ Henry felt nauseous at the wave of guilt that coursed through him. “ _Stone…”_ Blackstone let out a frantic chuckle. “I can’t believe I fell for this. I can’t believe I thought you _cared_ for me!” His voice was loud yet shaky as his anger got the best of him. Henry felt like he had been stabbed in the chest. “But Stone, I _do_ care for you…” Blackstone’s gaze pierced Henry’s and he pointed a trembling accusing tendril at his Captain. “If you _really_ cared for me, then none of this would be necessary _and you’d be just fine without it!”_ Blackstone stormed out of Admin and left Henry standing there alone. After a painstaking moment of silence, Henry’s anger got the best of him, and he threw his coffee mug which shattered against the wall. “DAMMIT!” _What the hell was wrong with him…_

Blackstone hurried to his room. As soon as he entered, the door closed behind him and he leaned against the cold hard surface. Fear got the best of him and he slid down until his upper body was hunched over his tucked legs. His body shook with fear and the only noise he heard in response was his own whimpers echoing off the darkened walls of his quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh boy... Henry struck a nerve there... or two... maybe three.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henry finally decides to bridge the gap he carved between him and his friend. 
> 
> Keep in mind, this chapter takes place about a week after Chapter 5.

_Henry writhed as the warm sensation traveled down his abdomen and pooled at the bottom. He leaned into the touch as his hands grasped for something to brace himself with on the dark lithe frame before him. It was almost too much to take in. The heat, the passion, the friction, the desire… His body quaked as he let out a breathy sound he couldn’t hear. So much stimulus… so much touch… so much **him** … Familiar instinct began whispering sickening promises in his ear of what was to come, and he blindly chased after it… His mind frayed as his body drove him closer to his end goal. The hands, the skin the friction, his legs quivering and threatening to drop them both, the pleasant sounds that sent shivers down his spine which harmonized with the tremor that he felt down below… And amidst it all, the only thing Henry could see was **his** red eyes..._

Henry awoke with a start in a cold sweat in his darkened quarters. He sat up and let out a long shaky sigh. That was the third dream this week… Henry got up with a huff and grabbed a towel before going to his bathroom and turning on the shower as cold as possible. Guilt seemed to poison him as he finished what his body had started and his hatred towards his feelings for Blackstone grew even more. It was these feelings that had scared Blackstone away nearly a week ago and it was these feelings that made Henry too timid to say anything. Sure, they spoke to each other, but it was only whenever necessary. Asking a question, reporting a task, receiving orders but never more than that. The crew seemed to notice Henry’s silent demeanor, and many offered to help with whatever it was that was troubling their beloved Captain, but Henry always politely declined. Blackstone masked whatever he felt perfectly. In fact, he seemed even more talkative amongst the crew than usual… which stung in the Captain’s chest more than he liked to admit.

Henry dried himself off haphazardly and left his quarters to get some water from the Cafeteria. He felt thirsty, and the stars looked the best when the ship’s lights were off anyway. Henry took a long sip out of his glass of water and stared at the stars for a few moments. The distant thrum of the ship’s engines soothed him, and he was able to calm down the self-resentment brewing inside of him… for now. Before long, Henry’s glass was empty, and he decided to go back to his room to try and get a decent night’s sleep for once in his career as Captain. As he was walking down the hallway to his quarters, Henry heard music. The rhythm was barely audible and that made it hard to discern what song was playing, but it was obviously there. Henry followed the noise out of curiosity, and it wasn’t until he reached the end of the hallway that he stopped. The music was coming from Blackstone’s room. Hesitation glued his feet to the floor and for several moments all Henry could do was listen to the lyrics as they pranced out of Blackstone’s room.

_Let me see what summer’s like on Jupiter and Mars…_

Henry noticed the voice sounded like it was being overlapped with something else. Henry’s curiosity got the best of him. His feet unstuck and before he knew it, he was peeking inside the room. Blackstone was sitting on his bed with all four of his eyes closed. His frills were pulsing rhythmically with the swing beat of the music and one of his clawed feet were tapping on the floor. “ _In other words… hold my hand….”_ Henry’s heart skipped a beat. Blackstone was _singing_! Not only that, but he was also _really_ good at it. Mesmerized, Henry continued watching. “ _In other words, baby kiss me…”_ Henry adjusted himself so that he leaned against the doorframe of Blackstone’s quarters. Blackstone’s head nodded as he added musical ornaments on the next line. “ _Fill my heart with song and let me sing forever more.”_ Henry counted the beats and gradually joined in.

“ _You are all I long for, all I worship and adore_.”

“You are all I long for, all I worship and adore.”

Blackstone’s eyes jolted open at the other voice and turned to see his Captain in the doorway. His markings flushed a darker color. “Oh… Henry… I… didn’t notice you there.” Henry stayed where he was in the doorframe. He wouldn’t enter without permission. Frank Sinatra’s voice still rang out of the small speakers of Blackstone’s tablet, but by now, it was completely forgotten by the two of them.

“You sing very well.” Henry commented. Blackstone’s markings grew darker in color. Henry continued. “Who taught you?” Blackstone hesitated and rubbed the back of his neck. “I… sort of just… figured it out myself.” Henry chuckled. “Why am I not surprised?” Neither of them spoke or met each other’s eyes for a moment.

_In other words, please be true…_

Henry hesitated before asking. “May I come in?” Blackstone’s eyes looked over Henry and his body language before finally scooting over on his bed. Since there were no other places to sit in one’s quarters, beds worked as the next best thing. Henry saw Blackstone scooting over as permission to enter, and he gingerly sat down on the bed, making sure to place as much distance between them as possible. Blackstone’s frills pulled into a mohawk involuntarily while is eyes remained on the ground and Henry couldn’t help but notice. _He’s uncomfortable…_ Another beat of silence passed between them before anyone spoke.

“Stone I just wanna…”

“There’s something that…”

Both chuckled sheepishly after recognizing they had talked over each other. Henry offered Blackstone to go first, but Blackstone insisted Henry did. Henry took a deep breath before continuing what he had said. “Stone, I wanna apologize. For… _everything_. I took our little interactions as a sign we were something… _more…_ and I just…” Henry sighed. “I let my emotions get the better of me. I tried ignoring what I felt… _how_ I felt… And I hurt you.” Henry’s eyes were threatening to leak tears and Blackstone noticed. His frills began slowly easing out of their distressed position and he stopped Henry from continuing.

_In other words... I love you._

Blackstone averted his gaze and looked at the floor. “Henry, what I wanted to tell you is that you weren’t what had scared me that day.” Henry’s eyes turned to meet Blackstone’s. Blackstone continued slowly. “I… I had… a very… _unsettling_ first experience with mating…” Henry’s shoulders dropped as his eyes widened slightly. Blackstone’s frills bulled back into a mohawk just at recalling the traumatizing memory and couldn’t bring himself to speak. Henry could tell he was struggling talking about it.

“Stone, if you don’t-“

“No, Henry.” Blackstone sighed, then brought himself to meet Henry’s eyes again. “You deserve to know. Especially since you…” Blackstone shrugged as an implication. Henry sheepishly nodded. “Yeah… I guess…” Frank Sinatra’s song ended, and smooth jazz slowly filled the emptiness between their words. “In our culture…” Blackstone continued hesitantly. “It is tradition to mate once the body comes of age.” Henry watched as Blackstone’s tendrils wrapped around himself to sort of put himself at ease. Henry wanted to reassure him in some way, but after what had happened, he didn’t want to do so much as inch closer before he had permission from his friend. Blackstone continued to explain. “Our mating process is… _lethal._ As we grow up, we are all technically the same gender, and it is our mating process that determines what our gender is when mating.” Henry was very confused as to how that worked but he simply nodded and continued listening. “It’s determined in a fight… but… I didn’t want to participate.” Henry could see where this was going. His heart dropped.

“Since I didn’t want to participate,” Blackstone continued, “I was forced...” Blackstone met Henry’s gaze with sad eyes. “I’m sure you can guess what that means.” Henry felt like shit. The entire time he had known Blackstone this never came up… Henry’s eyes widened slightly as something else popped up in his mind. “No interest in females… Is this why you said your preferences would be boring?” Blackstone averted is gaze and nodded. Henry felt his heart grow heavy with this new knowledge he had been given of his friend. “Oh Stone, I’m so sorry.” Blackstone did a sly shrug. “Don’t be. It happened a long time ago.”

Henry turned to fully face the seated alien. “You know that’s not what I meant. I’m talking about what I did. I was inconsiderate, and… _rude…._ And… _selfish…”_ Henry could feel a tear rolling down his cheek. He put his face in his hands and groaned out of exasperation. “Oh God, I’m such a terrible friend…” He said to himself. Blackstone’s eyes snapped back to his Captain. Once more, Henry felt the strange pressure in his head. Blackstone’s gaze softened. “You think I don’t care for you anymore?” Henry met Blackstone’s eyes. His face said all it needed to. Turmoil was clearly visible on his face, and at seeing how hurt he felt, Blackstone relaxed a lot more. “You know, I didn’t mean what I said yesterday… about you not caring.” Henry stayed silent. Blackstone continued. “I was just so worried that I was going to have a repeat of what had happened, I didn’t think straight and assumed how you felt.” Henry shook his head. The weakest of smiles appeared on his emotion-stricken face as he spoke. “Damn, we suck at this don’t we?” Both Henry and Blackstone chuckled, and their eyes met. A long pause passed between them. Henry reached his hand towards Blackstone’s tendril. He noticed Blackstone flinched at the encroachment of space ever so slightly and he stopped immediately. Henry stood from the bed. “You need your space… I understand.” Henry left without another word and left Blackstone alone in his quarters staring after his Captain.

Back in his quarters, Henry lay down on his bed and let his mind process what had happened between them. He saw Blackstone’s timid expression over and over and Henry’s guilt bore deeper into his chest. If only he had known what had happened to his friend… He never would’ve done what he did. Just as he thought that, Blackstone’s voice echoed through his mind. _If you really cared about me, then none of this would be necessary…_ Henry huffed. No. He was in the wrong regardless of knowing or not what had happened to Blackstone in the past. He shouldn’t justify his hindsight as being a result of not knowing about Blackstone’s past. He _did_ care for Blackstone… and it was time to prove it.

The next morning the crew sat around the center cafeteria table as usual for their morning tasks. Lavender was still snoring at her spot by the time the crew were dismissed. Blackstone glanced at his tablet and noticed his task list was empty. He glanced around the room. Jessica had the same confused look on her face. _Was her task list empty too?_ Henry approached the two confused crewmates with a warm smile on his face. “Is something the matter, you two?” Jessica was the first to speak up. “Uh… yeah… my task list is empty.” Blackstone spoke up. “Same here, Captain.” Henry chuckled warmly. “Well, I figured since you two were such good friends and hardly ever got time to hang out together, you’d want to have the first half of the day to yourself.” Blackstone looked back and forth between Henry and Jessica with surprise. His heartbeat grew heavier as something warm and familiar constricted in his chest. _He really does care…_ Jessica eagerly led Blackstone away before Blackstone could say thanks and the Captain just watched as he took a pleasant deep breath. He had done the right thing.

He didn't have any more of those dreams after that…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's not fluff, but its progress!
> 
> For those of you who are wondering, Blackstone was singing Frank Sinatra's Fly Me To The Moon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few days pass. Henry and Blackstone are still lacking confidence in their interactions with each other.

The two were on much better speaking terms now. Blackstone grew less talkative again, which Henry surmised that Blackstone is less talkative when he feels comfortable. It tends to be the other way around for most people, but if there’s anything John Brown had taught the crew was that there was beauty in staying silent. Henry and Blackstone were far more comfortable around each other and even sat next to each other at lunch. However, whenever Henry felt his thoughts… _wander_ , he tended to distance himself from Blackstone for a few moments. Not that Blackstone minded. He could tell that Henry was trying to regain control over the overwhelming amount of desire that had been blatantly ignored over the years. It always warmed Blackstone’s heart to see Henry going through such lengths just to make sure he felt comfortable. It was Henry over and over reaffirming he really _did_ care for him and soon Blackstone found himself feeling guilty for taking so long to recover from his… _episode_.

Blackstone woke early that day to go to the training room of the ship. He was wearing human length sweatpants which meant they only covered 2/3 of his legs. He also had a form fitting shirt that had no sleeves on so he could use his tendrils easily. In the training room, Blackstone chose a training program, walked over to the charging shelf, and grabbed a training gun off the shelf. The gun activated once it was in his hand, and Blackstone took his place in the center of the simulation square. The training program began, and Blackstone was suddenly surrounded by holographic enemies. The enemies opened fire and Blackstone had to leap out of the way to prevent from getting shot. He shot one enemy through the head, then turned to land a kick to the face of one of the holograms behind him. Blackstone used his heightened reflexes to maneuver through the concentrated gunfire. He turned to shoot three more enemies but missed the second headshot. The enemy shot at him and Blackstone got clipped in the shoulder. Blackstone’s shoulder was shocked and he lost his footing. He tripped and tumbled to the ground. The simulation stopped, and Blackstone noticed a familiar someone watching him from outside the simulation square.

“Your form is a bit off.” Henry commented. Blackstone stood and sighed. “Yeah… I know. I’m… still not used to using guns.” Henry chuckled as he approached. He held out his hand. “May I?” Blackstone handed the gun over to his Captain. Henry typed something into the training program and pulled up some stationary targets for him to shoot at. “So, what I noticed is that when you shoot, your arms begin switching to aim somewhere else a fraction of a second too early. It’s throwing off your shot.” Henry demonstrated what Blackstone was doing wrong, and sure enough, he only hit two of the three targets. “Another thing, you’re letting the gun steer you. The recoil on a gun can do some serious damage and make you miss entirely if you aren’t careful.” Henry turned and shot at the targets again. Sure enough, when he fixed his form, he hit all three targets perfectly and did so far faster than Blackstone ever thought possible. Henry handed the gun back over to his alien friend. “Now you try.”

The targets reappeared and Blackstone raised his gun to take aim. Henry reached forward and gently used his hands to adjust Blackstone’s form. “Your elbow goes… well technically you don’t _have_ an elbow but move this part here slightly higher.” Blackstone’s heart rate increased at their close proximity, and Henry deliberately ignored the color markings flushing a darker color on Blackstone’s body for his friend’s sake. “Now try it.” Henry offered. Blackstone brought his attention back to what he was doing and shot at the targets. His aim improved immensely however he was nowhere as fast as Henry. Regardless, Henry applauded. “Bravo! Excellent improvement!” Blackstone’s markings flushed again, and he placed the gun back on the charging rack. “Thanks for helping me.” Blackstone said. Henry shrugged. “Of course.” Blackstone turned and, to Henry’s surprise, pulled him into a fond embrace. Henry blinked at the sudden physical contact and savored it. He missed being able to… _to…_

Henry pulled away from Blackstone. “Sorry, Stone. I just… I don’t trust myself.” Blackstone gave an amused huff. “Which is exactly why I did it in the first place.” He pulled Henry into a hug again. “I need to prove to the both of us that I trust you. And that I trust you for a reason.” Henry’s stiffened posture relaxed, and he finally wrapped his arms around his friend. Henry’s heart rate increased and a form of happiness that he had grown to miss gradually began re entering his mind. Henry huffed a small laugh. “Thank you, Stone.” The two stood there hugging each other for a moment when a loud groan jolted them from their warm embrace.

“Will you two lovebirds just _get a room_ already?” Azul asked exasperated. The two of them separated immediately. Both of them were busy fumbling over words to try and give a rational explanation as to why they were hugging. Azul shushed them. “For fucks sake everyone knows you two have a thing for each other. Ever since the fiasco with the Mercenaries you two haven’t been able to keep your eyes off each other!” Both Henry and Blackstone blushed profusely and refused to look at each other. Azul scoffed as he walked past them, grabbed a weapon from the weapon rack, and chose a training program. He turned to look back at them again before going to the center of the room. “Oh relax! You two aren’t the only lovebirds on the ship. If you two weren’t so busy _drooling_ after each other, you’d see that Goldie’s been chasing after Jessica ever since she arrived.” Blackstone and Henry shot each other mutual looks of surprise. _Goldie and Jessica?_ The two of them began laughing as they left the training room to let Azul set a new personal best on the simulator square since Henry held all the highest scores on the simulations already.

Their laughter sparked a difference in how they regarded each other, and without either of them knowing, they had slipped their arms around each other as they walked through the otherwise barren halls. They hadn’t even paid attention where they were going as their feet led each other and before long, thy found themselves back in the recreational room. The two of them blinked. “Henry what are we even doing here?” Blackstone laughed. While stifling laughter, Henry shrugged. “Beats me. But since we’re here, wanna… maybe… listen to some music?” Blackstone thought about it for a second. He really _should_ shower, but he hadn’t sweat while he was training, and he felt like singing anyway. With a shrug, he sat down on the couch next to his beloved captain. “Why not?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FLUFF INBOUND!!!
> 
> Hey guys, I'm planning on making this story's bonus chapter about artwork. If you all want to show off your art based off the Skeld Series, feel free to send me the links so I can put them in the Chapter (with credit given where credit is due) I'll also try drawing some sketches to put in the chapter as well, but I want to dedicate the chapter to you all and your amazing talents and its kinda hard to do that without artwork heh.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE FLUFF RETURNS!
> 
> Mr. Citrus gets the call that Mrs. Citrus is due soon and the crew decide to change course to go straight back to Earth. Unfortunately this means a LOT of work has to be done and Blackstone is tired...

“Henry?... _Heeeeenry...”_

Blackstone’s tendril stroked the golden mass of hair on the Captain’s head. _So soft…_ Henry, still mostly asleep, shifted and buried his face deeper into the crook of Blackstone’s strong neck. His hips involuntarily grinded against Blackstone’s leg. Blackstone tensed up, but when he noticed Henry was just shifting, relaxed again. He sighed as he kept running his tendrils through the Captain’s blonde wavy hair and took in the details of how the slender strands fell, tangled, stood, and wisped across his warm, smooth skin. He really _should_ wake him up… But he never gets to play with hair and Henry’s was his favorite. Might as well make the most of his… _predicament._ Blackstone adjusted where he lay on the Recreational Room couch. His legs were completely asleep, and it was because of the sleeping human on top of him, he mused as the Captain murmured something unintelligible before letting out a snore and falling silent again.

The two lay there in almost complete silence when a flash of orange passed by the Rec Room entrance. A short pause later, Mr. Citrus poked his head back into the Rec Room entrance. “Blackstone!” He called. Blackstone didn’t move but met Mr. Henry’s eyes as he answered. “Yes, doctor?” Mr. Citrus took a few steps into the Rec room as he asked. “Have you seen the Captain? I’ve been looking for him since last night. It’s important.” Without saying anything, Blackstone simply lifted a tendril and gestured to the large mass sleeping on his body. Mr. Citrus leaned over to see past the back of the couch and let out an amused chuckle. “Wow, that must be _really_ uncomfortable.” Blackstone nodded. “Are your legs asleep?” Blackstone nodded emphatically and Mr. Citrus couldn’t help but laugh. Henry mumbled something along the lines of ‘Be quiet’ before shifting and burying his face deeper into Blackstone’s warm body. Mr. Citrus made his way to the other side of the couch. “Henry’s been a heavy sleeper ever since I knew him at the Academy.” He explained as he pried Henry’s arm from around Blackstone’s torso. “The only proper way to wake him up without an alarm clock is to be a bit rough with him. _That’s why he always slept on the top bunk.”_

Blackstone raised his head from the armrest of the couch to get a better look at what the orange suited doctor was doing. Mr. Citrus pushed back the small coffee table with his foot before grabbing henry’s arm again. Blackstone was still wondering why Henry had the top bunk. So, he asked. “Why did Henry always have the top bunk?” Mr. Citrus shot Blackstone a devilish grin as he grabbed Henry’s wrist, and his ankle. “So, I could do this!” Mr. Citrus yanked Henry off the couch with such force he twisted in the air and face planted on the carpet with a muffled thud. Henry let out a loud groaning whine. “Dammit Kevin, it isn’t a school daaaay. Let me sleep iiiiiiiin….” Blackstone laughed. Henry hadn’t even picked his face up off the floor as he spoke, and his voice was oddly muffled by the carpet he’d landed on. Henry, at hearing Blackstone’s laughter, rose to his knees drowsily and attempted to take in his surroundings with half lidded eyes. “ _Mmmmmh_ … Stonewhattimeisit?” Blackstone grimaced as the tingling sensation in his legs increased at the sudden lack of weight on top of him. He could barely understand what his Captain had said, but replied, nonetheless. “It’s well past time for you to resume your duty as my Captain, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Blackstone brushed a strand of golden hair from Henry’s face and Henry began blinking away the drowsiness from his eyes as he stood. “Well, duty calls.” Henry yawned as he stretched. When Blackstone didn’t immediately stand up, Henry shot his friend a questioning look. “...You coming, Stone?” Blackstone’s markings flushed a darker color ever so slightly as he shrugged. “You put my legs to sleep. I can’t stand.” Henry blushed as he realized what that implied and simply nodded. “…Understood. Just… report to me when you can.” Henry left the Recreational room in a hurry with Mr. Citrus on his heels murmuring about something important that Blackstone couldn’t entirely make out. With a shrug, Blackstone swung his legs off the couch and attempted to stand only to immediately collapse, writhe in discomfort, and groan when a wave of prickling swept through his entire lower body. On the carpeted floor Blackstone sighed. He was gonna be here for a while.

It took Blackstone’s legs a total of 10 minutes to recuperate from their weight incurred stupor. He arrived in Admin to report to Captain Henry, as ordered, when he noticed there was something wrong with their charted course. “Captain?” Henry turned from where he was looking at star charts. “Yes, Stone?” Blackstone pointed to the altered course. “I thought we were on course to rendezvous with the Thylardians at Nebular Alpha – 4. Why the sudden change?” Henry gestured to outside of Admin where Mr. Citrus was nervously sipping at an alcoholic beverage. Something he never drinks. “Mary’s due in a few weeks. We’re hurrying back so we can go congratulate her.” Blackstone tilted his head. “Due for what?” Henry chuckled before elaborating. “She’s _giving birth_ , Stone.” Blackstone’s eyes widened. “Oh wow!” Henry nodded as Blackstone began pondering what human birth would even look like. They don’t lay eggs… so… _how?..._ Blackstone forced his thought process to stop as he pictured an egg hatching from within one’s stomach and shuddered at the thought.

Henry handed a tablet to Blackstone that had an abnormally long list of tasks. Which made sense since they were doing a slingshot maneuver to go back to Earth. Majority of his tasks involved calibrating distributors and monitoring the overall integrity of the ship. Blackstone knew his list was far shorter than the others since they were manually redirecting the ship to turn around. So, he took a quick breath to mentally ready himself for the long day ahead.

**[72 Hours Later]**

Blackstone used a tendril to rub the sleep out of his tired primary eyes as he continued typing reports to send to MIRA HQ. He finished his tasks relatively quickly but had spent the rest of the next three days assisting his crewmates in the seemingly endless lists of tasks that needed to be done. The New Skeld was a larger ship than their old one, which meant more maintenance. And, since Blackstone was already helping everyone with everything, he got the stupid idea of deciding to also do a deep cleaning of the ship while he was at it. Nevertheless, here he was, three sleepless days later, typing reports for Henry who, last Blackstone heard, was in a heated political debate with the Fleet Admirals for violating direct orders. Their rendezvous with the Thylardians was pretty much just a diplomatic mission anyway, and Henry never stressed anything more than he stressed the importance of his Crew. They were his family, _and family should go out of their way to do things for each other_. Henry had told him. Family relations were mere titles in Imposter culture, and the overall emotional attachment to someone you were simply related to was a foreign aspect to him. Needless to say, it was a nice change of pace.

A knock on the door jarred Blackstone from his mind’s endless rambling thoughts and he turned to see it was Henry. “Oh. Hey, Henry…” Henry immediately knew that something was wrong because Blackstone never called him ‘Henry’ when they were on duty. Henry walked over to see Blackstone still typing away at the computer and began to read what he typed. “Stone… you’re typing backwards.” Blackstone paused, then squinted at the monitor right in front of him. He rubbed his eyes again. “Am I?” Henry noticed that Blackstone’s secondary eyes weren’t even open. _Just how tired was he?_ “Stone, how long have you been awake?” Blackstone shrugged drowsily. “Dunno… A few days I guess?” Henry sighed, then grabbed his friend by the tendril to guide him out of the Security Room. Blackstone obliged but looked confused. “Where are we going?” Henry didn’t stop as he continued leading Blackstone through the ship. “I’m going to get you a drink.”

Blackstone eyed the dark liquid before him. “This is what you drink every day?” Henry nodded. “Coffee is the best thing to drink if you wanna wake up. I know you won’t go to sleep until you finish that report so I might as well help you finish it.” Blackstone sniffed at the mug before him. “And all I do is drink it?” Henry nodded again. Without much more thought Blackstone shrugged, then poured the contents of the mug into his mouth. His brow scrunched up as he did so. “Ugh… it tastes bitter…” Henry shrugged. “It’s an acquired taste.” Blackstone sat still and waited patiently for a few moments. “…I don’t feel any different.” Henry grabbed the empty mug from where Blackstone sat. “It takes quite a bit of time for it to kick in.” As Henry walked the mug over to the used dishes counter, Blackstone felt himself grow more alert. His head perked up. His slit pupils dilated into large spheres and his secondary eyes opened as wide as possible. Within mere seconds he was overcome with a surplus of energy and needed to… _do something_. Blackstone stood and rushed over to where Henry was and began talking so quickly Henry couldn’t tell what he was saying.

Henry stared in confusion as Blackstone turned and ran over to where Henry had placed the mug and leapt on top of the counter. His eyes were wide with curiosity as he slowly nudged the mug to the very edge. “Uhhh… Stone?” Henry said. Blackstone turned and zoomed back over to where Henry was faster than Henry could blink. “Yes Captain?” Henry backed away a few steps. “Uhh… How about you take a few minutes to just-“

“ButIcantdothattheresstillsomuchtobedoneontheshiplikecleaningthefloorsfinishingmyreporthelpingtheotherswiththeirworkandmakingsuretheshipisintiptopshapeforyoubecauseeverythingIdoistomakeyouhappyandwhenIdoityoullbehappyandohmygoodnessthiscoffestuffisamazingandnIWANTMORE!” Blackstone was practically vibrating at a barely visible frequency as he spoke and then zoomed over to the coffee machine. He tore the cabinet door off with ease, threw it across the cafeteria, grabbed a plastic container, opened it, and began pouring coffee grounds into his open mouth. Henry’s eyes widened and he rushed over to stop him “Stone! Don’t-“

Blackstone snarled at Henry with his mouth spilling coffee grounds everywhere and arched his back defensively around the coffee grounds container. “ **Don’t. Touch. Me.** ” He growled. Henry stood petrified where he was. Blackstone’s eyes looked around the room faster than Henry could register, then in the blink of an eye sprinted towards the wall. Henry watched with his mouth agape as Blackstone tore through the wall with ease and disappeared through the hallways of the ship with an excited screech. _Oh fuck…_ Henry’s fingers fumbled on his com as he pulled it out of his pocket. He needed Mr. Citrus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY I DIDN'T UPLOAD YESTERDAY! I HAD TO WORK ON COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND COMPLETELY SPENT THE WHOLE DAY ON COLLEGE STUFF AND I FEEL SO BADLY THAT I DIDN'T HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU, MY LOVELIES IM SORRY! HAVE A CAFFEINATED IMPOSTER INSTEAD!
> 
> For those of you into science, the slingshot maneuver is a real thing used in modern day space travel. It's a technique in which one uses the gravitational orbit of a planetary body to increase one's velocity to travel a farther distance in less time, and with less fuel. Because of it's use in actual space flight it is seen most often in Star Trek when they use a slingshot maneuver around stars at above light speed to, theoretically, go back in time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blackstone is on a rampage and Henry has to find a way to calm him down

Blackstone had ripped and torn storage to shreds by the time the crew were made aware of the… _incident_ that needed solving. Mr. Citrus nearly slapped Henry for giving Blackstone coffee, and quite frankly, he deserved it. He didn’t think his decision through… Nevertheless, there he was, nearly four hours later, trying to calm down his friend who was hanging from all fours on the ceiling hissing and striking at anything that moved. Blackstone had eaten the whole coffee container, and the high dosage of caffeine were making itself apparent all over his body. Blackstone’s frills were pulsing erratically, and every inch of his body trembled. His mouth was salivating, and his skewering tongue hadn’t reeled back in once since this whole fiasco started.

Blackstone let out a roar and the crew members backed up again as his tongue slashed at the air in front just out of their reach. Henry was desperately trying to calm his friend down, but nothing was working. Mr. Citrus was growing frustrated. “Dammit, Henry! Did you notice him do _anything_ that would allow us to distract him?!” Henry recalled the fast-paced events that took place before Blackstone went apeshit. Hie talked quickly, ate more coffee, got more hyper… Wait… the mug! Blackstone was playing with the mug! Henry turned and ran to Admin. Once he reached it, he frantically searched the drawers for… where was it… _where was it?..._ Aha! Just as Henry found the object, a scream came from the storage room. Henry immediately sprinted out of Admin as fast as possible.

Henry arrived back at the storage room to see Blackstone had picked up Azul by the foot and was brandishing him by swinging him around like some sort of weapon. Henry ordered the crewmates to back away. The crew eyed their captain with uncertainty as they did as they were told. “Azul calm down! Try not to make any noise!” Azul was panting frantically but did as he was told, and the panicked yells stopped. Henry pointed the object in his hand at the floor and clicked the button. The laser pointer came to life and a bright red dot appeared silently on the floor. Blackstone’s attention was drawn to the shiny dot almost instantly. _Good_. Henry moved the dot onto the wall. Blackstone’s head turned as he followed the dot’s movements. The crew held their breath as Henry began moving the laser pointer around the wall. Blackstone released Azul who fell to the ground. Mr. Citrus came forward and dragged the injured crewmate away from the hyper creature. Henry watched as Blackstone’s body coiled to pounce on the dot. Henry slowly moved the dot to the floor and signaled for the crewmates to get ready.

An uneasy moment of silence made its presence known as the crewmates all held their breath in anticipation. Blackstone stared at the red dot. His body wiggled like a cat’s as he tested his balance, then he pounced. As soon as he landed on the floor, Henry, Evergreen, _and_ Goldie, all fired their phasers at the same time. Their stuns were a direct hit and Blackstone arched at the sensation that passed through his body. A shrill screech echoed through the damaged storage room before Blackstone’s body collapsed on the ground still twitching erratically. Mr. Citrus and Evergreen acted quickly. They hefted Blackstone’s delirious body onto the med bay bed that was nearby, then stuck the magnetic restraints on all of his limbs. As soon as they activated, Blackstone came out of his stunned stupor. Blackstone screeched as his tongue lashed out in an attempt to strike the crewmates around him. Henry had to duck to avoid getting decapitated, and Evergreen got slashed on the arm.

Mr. Citrus and Henry wheeled the caffeinated imposter into the med bay as he still strained and pulled against the restraints. Henry tried soothing down his friend. “Stone, listen to the sound of my voice, ok? You’re gonna be ok. Kevin’s gonna take good care of you. Ok?” At the sound of the familiar voice, Blackstone’s eyes met Henry’s and his pupils fluctuated in size as he fought against his natural instincts. Blackstone’s tongue slowly slipped back into his mouth and his mouth shut as he attempted to speak. “ _HeEeNrYyy…”_ Blackstone’s voice was coarse and sounded as alien as he looked, and it took all of Henry’s resolve not to pull away. Worry gripped at his chest as Blackstone continued to pull against the restraints while his body spasmed uncontrollably. Henry met Mr. Citrus’s eyes. “What’s wrong with him? It was just coffee…”

Mr. Citrus turned from where he was looking at the vitals to face the grief-stricken captain. “Too much caffeine can cause someone’s heart to stop, Henry. Not only did Blackstone have enough coffee to give a human a heart attack, but he also doesn’t have a liver. His body can’t compensate or process certain things to prevent them from entering his bloodstream, so the caffeine effects are _far_ more potent.” He sighed as Blackstone continued to squirm uncontrollably. His skin had paled to a dark grey and his movements began growing sluggish Henry shook his head. “Well, can’t you give him something to help him?” Mr. Citrus turned with an obviously frustrated expression on his face. “Do you _want_ me to stop his heart, Henry?!” Henry shut his mouth and averted his gaze. Mr. Citrus sighed again as he rubbed his temples as he elaborated. “His body can’t handle any more foreign substances in his bloodstream right now. All we can do is sit, wait, and… hope he pulls through…”

Mr. Citrus left Henry in the med bay who continued to helplessly watch as Blackstone continued to twitch and spasm uncontrollably. As he turned to leave, Blackstone let out a strange whine and Henry stopped. He turned to see his friend’s tendril reaching weakly from where it was restrained to the bed. Henry’s heart ached and he couldn’t help but return to the imposter’s bedside. Henry’s hand grabbed Blackstone’s tendril gently. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.” Blackstone’s eyes filled with relief at those words and his eyelids closed. Before long, the caffeinated imposter was unconscious on the med bay bed as exhaustion finally took hold of him. Henry grabbed a chair, sat down, and held Blackstone’s pale tendril. His thumb rubbed circles against the skin gently and he looked over the alien before him while regret pooled in his chest. _I’m not going anywhere…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I didn't upload yesterday, have two today. That oughta make up for it... right?
> 
> Also, for those who are into science, the stuff I said about coffee is in fact, true. Too much caffeine can cause your heart to over strain itself and stop because it accelerates the rate in which the body performs basic functions and leaves the heart behind which means the heart has to over strain itself to... "catch up" . Speed the body up too much, and the heart ends up straining itself so much to upkeep the heightened energy expenditure that it ends up expending itself along with it. It's because of this that some people manage overpopulation in invasive frog species using coffee. They love the taste, but the caffeine inside it stops their heart and effectively kills them in the process.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter seems short. It's chapter is meant to be a small transition to set up for the next chapter. I just needed to get Blackstone back on his feet for story's sake. (I also may or may not just want to hurry up and do the bonus chapter... heh) Also, there's some witty banter which I know you all enjoy.
> 
> In other words, Blackstone gets released from med bay, and Henry feels guilty about what happened.

Blackstone woke up in the dimly lit med bay with the worst headache in his life. Which was impressive considering he’s been on death’s doorstep more than once before. As he began to sit up, an orange hand pushed gently on his chest and he flopped back onto the pillow. “You’ve been unconscious for 17 hours.” Mr. Citrus stated. Concern edged his voice as he turned away from the still restrained alien to check his vitals. “How do you feel?” Blackstone’s voice was coarse as he replied. “I feel like someone dropped an anvil on my head…” Blackstone huffed as he found it difficult to breathe, then added “…and on my chest…” Mr. Citrus nodded. “Yep… the headache is all that caffeine talking. The chest ache is most likely because we had to stun ya on max power several times just to get you in the damn bed.” Blackstone’s foggy memory of what happened began to clear. Worry choked him as his eyes widened.

“Oh shit… I didn’t kill anyone did I? Did I hurt anyone?” Mr. Citrus gave a gentle pat on Blackstone’s shoulder. “Nothing I couldn’t handle. The crew got away with just some cuts and bruises. The storage room, not so much.” Blackstone let out a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness_ … When the caffeine took hold of him he was completely out of it and his instincts had overridden his self-control completely. Had he killed anyone, he never would’ve forgiven himself. _Especially_ Henry… Wait… _Henry!_ Blackstone looked around the med bay frantically. Mr. Citrus pushed him gently back down onto the bed. “Relax, Romeo. Your prince charming is asleep over there.” Mr. Citrus gestured towards the end of Med bay with a nod of his head and Blackstone turned to see the captain curled up asleep on a chair while the doctor kept talking. “He refused to leave until you woke up. Hasn’t eaten in over a day.” Blackstone felt warmth grow from within his chest at the show of loyalty from his dear Captain.

Mr. Citrus walked over and shook the Captain awake. Henry immediately came over to Blackstone’s bedside. “Stone are you ok?” his voice was heavily layered in grief, and Blackstone could tell. “I’m fine now that I know you are, Captain.” The two held each other’s gaze for a few moments before Mr. Citrus groaned. “I’m too tired to deal with you two constantly preaching your love to each other.” A button was pressed, and the restraints holding Blackstone to the bed clicked open. Blackstone noticed his limbs had rings on each limb where his skin was rubbed raw. _How much of a fight did I give…?_ His thoughts were interrupted as Henry offered his hand to help Blackstone sit up. As Blackstone accepted the offered help, Mr. Citrus continued talking. “Henry, watch him and make sure he drinks _plenty_ of water. His body will probably be sensitive to anything you give him, so don’t feed him too much food today. And Blackstone,” Blackstone met the doctor’s eyes. “Next time you wanna try some human food, _ask me first._ Ok?” Blackstone weakly huffed out a laugh. “Of course.”

Blackstone attempted to stand and almost immediately collapsed. Henry caught him and placed Blackstone’s tendrils around his shoulders before standing again. Blackstone’s skin was still grey and his head drooped slightly as the two shambled out of med bay. Blackstone’s body felt like it lacked a skeletal structure altogether, and his head was throbbing profusely. Neither of them spoke as Henry led them to the recreational room. Once they arrived Henry let Blackstone sit on the couch. Henry’s eyes had avoided Blackstone’s the entire time, and Blackstone could tell. Henry’s voice was small when he said “I’ll go get you some water.” Blackstone grabbed Henry’s wrist before Henry could pull away. “Henry, what’s wrong?” Henry continued to avoid Blackstone’s eyes. “It’s nothing, Stone. Let me get you some water.” Blackstone was hesitant, but let his Captain go.

Once Henry returned, Blackstone drank the glass of water with ease, and before Henry could go away, he grabbed his wrist again. “Talk to me, Henry.” Henry hesitated. His eyes met Blackstone’s and Blackstone could see the guilt in them. “I… I almost killed you, the ship, and my crew all in the span of 12 hours! You were tossing and turning in pain all night long and I…” Henry’s voice wavered. “Stone I thought you were going to die… I heard you in pain and I… was back on that Mercenary ship… Worried out of my mind, and…” Blackstone shushed his Captain gently. “You should know by now I won’t let anything stand in my way if it means being with you. If I couldn’t handle a bit of caffeine just now, there was no way I should’ve survived my infection. I’ll be fine.” Henry obviously wanted to protest, but Blackstone didn’t let him. “I’ll. Be. Fine. Now how about we listen to some music and just relax for a little bit?” Henry nodded as the knot of guilt subsided he and turned to the tablet on the coffee table. “Sinatra?” Blackstone shook his head. “Nah. I’m in the mood for some Ella Fitzgerald today.”

The two spent the rest of the day in the Recreational Room. Henry assigned tasks from where he was and spent the majority of the day going to and from the Cafeteria to bring Blackstone more water. After everyone else had gone to sleep, the two of them were still in the recreational room. Blackstone was fast asleep, but Henry stayed awake. Something inside him felt obligated to watch over Blackstone. Especially since he had practically _poisoned_ him to death. At the sound of Henry getting up to fix his friend’s blanket, Blackstone stirred. He immediately noticed the bags under Henry’s eyes. “Henry.” Henry met Blackstone’s drowsy yet demanding gaze. “Go to sleep.” Henry smiled slightly as he stifled a yawn. “I’m not tired.” Blackstone sat up slightly. “Bullshit.” He reached out and touched the middle of Henry’s forehead and concentrated. Blackstone’s frills vibrated slightly as he stared into Henry’s drowsy ones. “ _Sleep._ ”

At the command, Henry’s eyes rolled backwards, and his body collapsed onto the floor with a sickening thud. Blackstone scoffed at Henry’s stubbornness. Of all the humans Blackstone had ever met, Henry was by far the most selfless. Blackstone wasn’t entirely sure why certain humans had such loyalty in abundance, but he knew that Henry had the most loyalty to give. Blackstone sighed as he lay back down and recalled the two of them listening to music and his heart rate quickened ever so slightly at the memory. Blackstone’s hand was absent mindedly rubbing small circles on his chest at the heightened heart rate and he couldn’t help but give a pleasant sigh as drowsiness took hold of him once more. Of all the people he’d ever met in his life, Henry, he decided, was the one he’d most likely want to spend it with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as promised, the next chapter will be a bonus chapter mainly based around fanart and appreciation of you guys haha. For the sake of chapter length, why don't you guys ask some questions in the comments? I'll answer them to the best of my ability.
> 
> Also,  
> I already have an idea for what I want the next story in this series to be, and I'm gonna start it BEFORE I finish this one just for the sake of me having all of my ideas on paper. I think you'll like what the next story will be.


	11. BONUS CHAPTER: Fanart and Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's another bonus chapter!

Well, its about that time again!

As promised, this bonus chapter will be about answering some questions you guys have and appreciating some fanart from you guys!

If you all ask questions or send artwork after this chapter is posted, I will answer them at the _Questions_ section of this chapter. I’ll add the new pictures into the _Artwork_ section. So, just keep an eye on this chapter in particular because it may change a few times in the future.

Alright, with that being said, its time for questions!

**QUESTIONS:**

**CreepyWaffleCO _asked_ :**  
I have a question:  
When you imagine the Skeld (or Skeld 2), do you think of it as very similar to the Skeld in game, as a larger version of that, or something else?

_This is a very well-deserved question considering I never really delved into the details all that much. For the Skeld in ‘To Be an Imposter’, the ship is the same as the one we see in the game. The only difference is that there is also a whole level of the ship dedicated to living spaces. It’s where the crew all sleep and relax basically. For the New Skeld, it’s an upgraded version of the previous ship. Its slightly larger, has a better kitchen, a recreational room, and a training room which the original Skeld doesn’t have. The layout is very similar. The rooms we are familiar with (electrical, security, admin, etc) are all in the same locations as they are on the previous ship. The rooms also look very similar, they just have the latest equipment installed. Sometimes being the best crew in all of MIRA pays off hehe._

**uwuSuckers _asked_ :**

I have a question: What inspired you to form these characters and the story?

_Excellent question. I’ve been writing stories for years and I wanted to get an outside opinion on how my writing skills were since I plan on writing a few books in the future. I figured that AO3 would be a nice way to get some feedback on what my writing styles should include. However, I also knew that my original stories wouldn’t get any attention because they aren’t based off a fandom. So, I decided to choose a fandom that would give me a lot of flexibility in how I write it along with a large demographic so people would be actually willing to read what I wrote. Lo, and Behold, Among Us was the answer._

_My main inspiration came from reading other Among Us fanfictions on AO3. I noticed that most people had an uncanny similarity in how they structured their stories and wanted to take a bit of a different approach. I wanted a story where the imposter was good, but decided to take things to the next level by making it so that the crew would end up having to rely on said imposter in order to survive. Blackstone was the first character I made for the story, and the rest of the characters pretty much wrote themselves as the story progressed._

**Squawks208 _asked_ :**

Question: How did you come up with the Idea for Blackstone? Did his design change over time as you began to write him?

_So the way my story building process works is I think of what I want to see in a story, then immediately design a fully fleshed out main character before I even begin writing. For me, if I don’t understand the character I’m writing about, the story doesn’t flow as well as it probably should. I based a lot of his design off of what was seen in the game and combined it with what I’d seen in other fanfics. Most people say they can shapeshift and that they’re a mass of tentacles and what not, but they never stop to question how it would work._

_I’m the kind of person that will take something obviously fictional in which science doesn’t apply and try to figure out the science behind it anyway. So, when making Blackstone I basically went through every organism in the animal kingdom picking and choosing my favorite characteristics and using them to give rational explanations for why imposters are capable of doing what we see in the game. That being said, the only thing that changed from Blackstone’s original design was his mouth. When I first thought him up, I pictured the mouth opening vertically on his stomach and chest rather than horizontally on his abdomen, but my science addicted brain didn’t like that and rejected the idea completely lmao._

**Veraven _asked_ :**

I may have a dumb world question for you if you’re taking questions: What is the political environment like since in Blackstone’s situation there was mention of a trial. (And I may be a little curious to know about how that whole situation has influenced the current world and such)

_This is another well deserved question. I figured the crew would have to be investigated by MIRA since they literally disappeared from their course and did not complete their mission only to show up about a week and a half later on a stolen Mercenary SystemHopper with the top secret samples gone and a living (nearly dead, but living nonetheless) imposter as part of their “crew.” After sound evidence was produced, the crew were all cleared and their story was deemed true. However, Blackstone was now a big security issue since he had broken into MIRA years ago. So, they did a background check on him to ensure he was acting on his own accord. They accused him of murdering and impersonating a MIRA officer but since Blackstone never murdered anyone to sneak into MIRA, they decided his punishment should be less severe. After much debate, they were deciding to take samples from him since their originally acquired samples were gone, and then kick him out of MIRA. This is when Henry pulled rank, and said if they got rid of him, he, and the rest of his crew would quit. So, to keep the best crew they had, they decided Blackstone could resume his post if he can complete an accelerated year of training at MIRA Academy._

_Blackstone is not only the first Imposter to join MIRA, but the first non-human to legally do so. There is still plenty of discrimination towards his species, especially since they’re known for killing and infiltrating ships, but for the most part, they’re supportive. There are other military personnel that want to do all sorts of experiments on him and use him to design bioweapons, but so far, they haven’t had the chance to._

[If you all have any further questions, they will be answered here. Be sure to check this chapter for any changes in the future]

**ARTWORK:**

If these image links don't work like I planned pls forgive me. I'm trying my best haha

[Incyray's Blackstone!!!](https://sta.sh/0bvix41quxz)

This link shows how Incyray interpreted Blackstone and I think it's SO COOL! I can tell they put a LOT of time and effort into it and it makes me feel SO LOVED!

[Riten's Artwork!!!](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-446N8b2_pLM/X4RcI3NO9mI/AAAAAAAANqM/RjhIWeAA8K8MNK-jEMg4EdVDCTa-49azQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/onealien.png)

Riten decided to draw Blackstone in some snazzy clothing and to be honest, it's better than anything I would've ever done. It looks SO GOOD and the way you interpreted him really makes him feel like he has personality, as well as an excellent sense of fashion!

[Keterbee's Reading! PART 1!!!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiQPPqMHo3M)

[Keterbee's Reading! PART 2!!!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrdJCIFBru0)

[Keterbee's Reading! PART 3!!!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QhIQhZF6fc)

[Keterbee's Reading! PART 4!!!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5C-_2vZt9g)

Guys, this means SO MUCH to me. For someone to take the time to read my story on Youtube is a HUGE honor! Also, the way Keterbee draws Blackstone is ADORABLE! I'll be sure to post the other links to their videos as they posts them but PLEASE Subscribe to their channel! They deserve more love!!!

[My Artwork!](https://sta.sh/028d1cfgy9rv)

To participate in the artistic prowess you all have shown, I decided to draw the scene from the beginning of chapter 8 with my two sleepy spacey bois. Hopefully you all enjoy it!

Once again, thank you all SO MUCH for the love and support you've shown me on this story series! I can't wait to draw more for you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn... I cant believe I've written this many chapters already...
> 
> If there are any technical problems, please let me know. I'll try my best to fix them!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blackstone accompanies Mr. Citrus, Henry, and a few others to go and congratulate Mrs. Citrus on their newborn daughter. Blackstone feels a bit out of place for a bit.

Henry awoke on the carpet floor of the recreational room with a pillow under his head, and a blanket gently placed on top of him. He sat up to see that Blackstone was no longer on the couch, or anywhere in the room for that matter. Henry stood as worry overtook him. Blackstone could barely stand yesterday. If he was off doing tasks now, he could hurt himself even more. Henry was turning to leave when Blackstone casually walked past the recreational room door. Blackstone stopped as he was walking and turned to face Henry. “Oh, hey Henry! Was wondering when you’d wake up.” Henry blinked in confusion as he looked his friend over. Blackstone’s skin color was back to its inky black color and he could stand with ease. Henry fumbled over his words as drowsiness strangled his tongue. “You… you’re all better… already?” Blackstone shrugged. “Well, yeah. I'm not malnourished anymore, so my healing is back to where it should be.” Henry nodded with a dazed look still plastered on his face.

Before he could turn away, Blackstone got his attention again. “Oh Captain.” Henry turned. Blackstone continued. “ We’re arriving at Earth in a few hours. I suggest you get ready for our arrival.” Henry’s eyes widened. He’d completely forgotten about their change of course! Henry immediately rushed out of the recreational room for a quick shower and a change of clothes. Blackstone stared after Henry for a few moments musing over how his hair stood on end after having slept on the floor. Blackstone turned to go back to his tasks. The transport shuttle needed prepping for their descent to Earth’s atmosphere. He rushed off and fell in step with Evergreen who was getting ready to do a diagnostic check on the ship’s engines. Evergreen shot the alien a nervous glance. Blackstone put more distance between them and averted his gaze. Evergreen sighed. “It’s not your fault what you did a few days ago. I’m not tryna make ya feel badly I'm just… still a bit nervous I guess.” Blackstone kept his distance but shot his crewmate a warm look. “Thank you, Evergreen.”

Blackstone remained busy for several hours with tasks and helping his crewmates prepare the transport ship. Most kept their distance and stayed farther away from Blackstone than usual, which is understandable since he nearly killed them all yesterday. Regardless, Blackstone noticed he felt a little disheartened at the sudden, yet temporary, distance between him and his crewmates. It reminded him of when he first revealed himself as an imposter… and how terrified they were of him. Blackstone’s thoughts were interrupted by his captain who had watched Blackstone stare solemnly at the large gashes he’d carved all over the room a few days ago. “Stone.” Blackstone turned to meet Henry’s gaze. Any sign of negative thoughts disappeared instantly. _Still as stoic as ever, huh?_ Henry nodded his head towards the living spaces. “Grab some stuff. You’re going to the surface.” Blackstone blinked. “I am? Why?” Henry smirked as he shot his alien friend a look. “Per Mrs. Citrus’s request, you’re coming down to the surface to meet the new addition to their family, and as captain, I will enforce that request by any means necessary. Do I make myself clear?” Blackstone laughed and nodded. “Perfectly clear, Captain.”

Sure enough, Blackstone soon found himself inside a rented vehicle with Mr. Citrus at the wheel, Henry in the passenger seat, and three other crewmates aside from him squeezed into the back. Blackstone’s legs felt cramped as they dug deeper into the back of the seat in front of him. They’d been driving for almost an hour now to get from the MIRA Base to the residential area Mrs. Citrus was living in, but Blackstone didn’t mind. The only part of Earth he had seen so far was the Academy so to see everything else was all new to take in. Blackstone’s face was practically glued to the window he was sitting next to, and whenever he saw something new, his frills would pulse in excitement. _Cute…_ Henry thought to himself, who… if asked, would’ve refused to admit he’d been staring at the time.

The vehicle they were in soon slowed down and came to a stop in front of a large house. “Alright.” Mr. Citrus announced. “Home sweet home!” The crewmates began disembarking the vehicle and grabbing their small suitcases full of what little civilian clothing they had. Blackstone stood somewhat awkwardly alongside the vehicle with his suitcase. He was… unsure what to do, and Henry could tell. Henry placed an arm around Blackstone’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Just follow my lead. There’s nothing to be afraid of here.” Blackstone nodded silently then followed Henry indoors. Once inside, Mr. Citrus embraced his wife warmly and they shared a quick kiss. “Oh, Mary it’s so good to see you again!” Mr. Citrus said while still hugging her. Mrs. Citrus reciprocated her happiness and then led Mr. Citrus into the living room. Seated on the couch was an older man and in his arms was, from what Blackstone could see, a small bundle of cloth. Mr. Citrus dropped his bag and was dead silent as the older man stood and walked over while holding the cloth bundle gently.

Blackstone could smell the overwhelming amount of joy leaking out of the doctor and was overall fascinated as he watched Mr. Citrus lay eyes on his daughter for the first time. Awes and light applause filled the densely populated living room as Mr. Citrus began tearing up. He gently grabbed the warm bundle and a smile appeared on his face as he turned to the crewmates that had accompanied him here. “I’m a dad!” Blackstone watched as everyone began congratulating the two doctors and giving congratulatory hugs to the both of them. He felt… out of place… and unsure what was happening. He never realized there was this much significance behind a human child to begin with. But everyone seems to be happy so perhaps it’s a good thing.

Blackstone’s thoughts were interrupted as Henry approached with Mrs. Citrus by his side. “Blackstone! You came! It’s so good to see you again!” Mrs. Citrus pulled Blackstone into a hug and Blackstone had to bend down to properly wrap his arms around her shoulders. She smelled different, and her grip seemed… weaker. Concern edged his voice as he straightened again and asked. “How are you doing?” Mrs. Citrus shrugged. “Oh, I’m doing fine! Having a child is _definitely_ something to get used to, but according to my knowledge I’m perfectly healthy!” She giggled warmly before grabbing Blackstone by the tendril “Come! Let me show you around! A lot of this stuff is probably very new for you isn’t it?” Blackstone nodded as he was dragged against his will to other parts of the house and Henry chuckled to himself before following along. This will be interesting.

Sure enough, Blackstone was overly fascinated by the different things that one could find in a human home. He was ever so slightly disappointed to see that there weren’t copious amounts of raw food in the fridge but was entirely captivated by the television and large speakers that lined the wall of the living area. As they walked through the dining room, he’d found a small ornate box that, when opened, made gentle music with a soft chiming mechanism. Mrs. Citrus had called it a… _music box_. Blackstone liked it and carried it with him. For some reason, it soothed him to hear it chiming. By the time they had arrived back at the living room, majority of the crewmates had found places to sit or lounge and Blackstone decided to sit on the floor since all of the couch spots were taken. He observed silently as people continued to converse with one another and only half listened to the things they were saying because his eyes were fixated on the infant in Mr. Citrus’s arms. It looked so… small… and _fragile…_

“Do you want to hold her?”

Blackstone blinked as he snapped out of his daze from the sound of Mr. Citrus’s voice. “Oh! Uh… no thanks…” Blackstone said sheepishly. “I’m sure you’d rather not let someone like me hold her anyway…” Henry spoke up from where he leaned against the back of the couch. “Nonsense! You should hold her, Stone! Opportunities like this are very hard to come by!” Other words of encouragement resonated from the crew and Blackstone reluctantly gave in. “…Alright I guess…” Mr. Citrus got up from the couch and slowly handed the infant over to Blackstone. “Now curve your arm like so, and… support the head like that… and… there!” Blackstone froze where he was. He didn’t want to hurt the tiny thing in his arms. It felt unbelievably warm and smelled sickly of a human scent he couldn’t recognize. Blackstone looked over the tiny human in his arms. It hardly had any hair on it. Just tiny wisps of strands beginning to form that covered it’s soft head like a fog. Its skin was translucent, and Blackstone could see a web of veins and arteries across its bulbous, plump cheeks. The baby’s eyes were large in comparison to the rest of it’s face, and it took Blackstone a minute to realize it had no teeth. He was so captivated by the sight his pupils dilated and his frills stood on end with captivation.

The baby cooed as it’s large brown eyes met Blackstone’s and it was in that moment the infant went from a thing, to an _entity_. From where he was he could _feel_ the baby’s consciousness and it’s wonder at the world around it. He could feel the baby’s curiosity as it experienced new things and how it made its mind grow far faster than Blackstone ever thought possible. The baby made a noise and began to whine as Blackstone continued staring and Blackstone could feel the baby’s unease from where he was. Unsure of what to do, he shushed the baby gently and thought of the one thing that helped put him at ease. Within moments, Blackstone averted his gaze from the infant’s eyes and began to sing.

_"Loo, loo, loo, I’ll take you dreaming, Through the rainy night, To a place behind the raindrops, Where the stars are bright…”_

Everyone in the room fell silent and watched the sight before them as Blackstone’s voice filled the empty silence of the room.

_“You may not find gold or silver, But a richer prize, Waits for you behind the raindrops, If you close your eyes…”_

The baby stopped whining, and when Blackstone finished his song, it reached up a tiny hand and placed it on Blackstone’s chin. Blackstone’s heart leapt at the touch and he felt more accomplished in that moment than he ever had in his entire life. Blackstone suddenly felt eyes on him and looked up to see everyone in the room staring at him. Unease suddenly coursed through him. “Did… Did I do something wrong?” Mr. Citrus was the first to speak up from where he was sitting. “Blackstone how long have you been able to _sing?!”_ Blackstone’s markings darkened with embarrassment. “I just sort of… _did_ after Henry showed me what music was.” Everyone’s heads turned to face the Captain who was still staring longingly at Blackstone. Henry blinked as he noticed he was the center of attention and held up his hands defensively. “Don’t look at me! I didn’t teach him that!” Everyone began laughing and the amount of overall joy among the people in the room was palpable. Blackstone no longer felt out of place, and, perhaps, finally understood why family was held as such an important virtue among the human race.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured it would be a nice touch that a creature so deadly would have such a gentle side. Also, I just REALLY wanted an excuse to have Blackstone sing again. Haha
> 
> For those of you who want to know what Blackstone sang, it's an old lullaby sung by the actor Danny Kaye called "I'll Take You Dreaming" in one of my favorite comedy movies, the Court Jester.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henry goes outside for some fresh air after some unpleasant memories are stirred up. Blackstone goes to comfort him.

The rest of the day was spent with the crewmates all hanging out together and catching up on recent events. Azul teased Henry and Blackstone by pointing out how the two of them grew closer together over the past few weeks. Both Henry and Blackstone blushed profusely, and when Henry was asked about it, his eyes grew sad. Henry stood and forced on a warm smile. “Nah, you all don’t wanna hear about that. Besides, I think I’m gonna go out for some fresh air.” Blackstone watched as Henry exited the room. Henry reeked of sadness and it was making him worried. Blackstone was about to follow when a voice called out. “Hey Blackstone! Look over here!” Blackstone turned, and was about to ask what was wrong when something red and shiny caught his attention. Involuntarily, all previous thoughts were interrupted by Blackstone’s sudden desire to catch the laser pointer in front of him. His pupils dilated, and he crouched down on all fours. As the dot moved, Blackstone’s face followed, and the crew laughed at Blackstone’s eager reaction. They began toying with him and Blackstone pounced on the dot but missed completely. Frustration fueled his prey drive further and he crouched again. He wasn’t going to miss this time…

Henry sat outside on the back-porch steps of Mr. Citrus’s house and overlooked the large backyard before taking a deep breath of the cool evening air. He let the warm yet dwindling rays of sunshine from the setting sun kiss his face and chase away the negative memories that the previous question had brought up. He sighed and tried focusing on something else… _anything else_. Henry closed his eyes and focused on the noises around him but even though he tried his hardest to stay positive, he thought he could still hear echoes of voices he recognized calling his name from far away. Henry’s brow furrowed as the voices grew louder and the memories he tried so hard to chase away came back to haunt him. The punishments, the taunts, the _lies…_ Henry’s brow scrunched up even more as anger began to well up inside him. _No... He’s mine. You can’t take him. He’s MINE!_

“Henry?”

Henrys eyes snapped open at the familiar sound of Blackstone’s voice. The imposter met his captain’s eyes with concern. “Henry, are you alright?” Henry hesitated for a moment before lying. “Yeah, I’m fine! Just… enjoying the sunset…” Blackstone scoffed and sat down alongside Henry on the porch. “Y’know when it comes to talking with me, you’re a _terrible_ liar.” Henry couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah I guess so…” The two sat silently for a moment before Blackstone pushed further. “Sooo...” Henry gave him a questioning glance. The alien elaborated. “What’s bothering you?” Henry sighed. “It’s nothing important. Just… us being there in the living room brought up some… unpleasant memories.” Blackstone shot Henry a concerned glance. “Unpleasant as in…?” Henry noticed the deep worry in Blackstone’s eyes and immediately elaborated. “Oh! No. Nothing traumatic or abusive like what you had to go through. But it was unpleasant for me nonetheless.” Blackstone averted his gaze but still was just as tense. A moment of silence passed between them before Blackstone offered. “If you’d like to talk about it, I’m more than willing to listen.” Henry shook his head. “Nah. I won’t burden you with my angst. They’re my own problems, I can take care of them.”

Blackstone’s unease immediately got replaced with a deadpanned look. “Ok that’s unfair. I told you _my_ sob story, but you have yet to tell me anything about why you did what you did those few weeks ago.” Henry met his friend’s gaze. Blackstone’s red eyes pierced Henry’s blue ones and Henry huffed out a laugh. “You’re being serious…” Blackstone nodded and stayed silent as he waited for an answer. When Henry struggled to find the words to say, Blackstone rested a tendril on his Captain’s shoulder. “Henry, Please. It’ll help you feel better.” Henry nodded, cleared his throat, then began talking. “Well, first things first, its… _uncommon_ among humans to have an interest in someone of the same gender.” Blackstone thought back to his days at the Academy and how most people who dated were paired up with someone of the opposite gender. Henry continued. “Well… because it’s uncommon, not all humans support it, or acknowledge it as a legitimate relationship.” Blackstone’s head tilted. He’d heard of discrimination being a large part of human culture, but to discriminate relationships? That seemed uncalled for.

Henry shifted where he sat as he continued. “My parents were… one of those people who believed that liking someone of the same gender was a bad thing. I grew up believing that I was straight even though for as long as I can remember I was interested in people of my gender.” Henry’s eyes grew distant as he recalled an unpleasant memory. “My father one time discovered that I had a crush on this boy in my class at school.” Henry chuckled dryly as he continued. “He beat me senseless with his belt and we moved within the week because he didn’t want me associating with… _them.”_ Blackstone’s curious expression softened as he took in what his captain had said. Henry was forced to deny how he felt for so long… It must’ve been torture… Henry continued. “My upbringing carried over to my Academy years and I tried so desperately to be… _normal._ ” A tear slipped down Henry’s face without him even realizing. “I began sleeping with women. I wanted so… _desperately…_ to not feel for a man but… I _couldn’t_.”

Blackstone remained silent. He was unsure what to say. Henry turned to meet Blackstone’s eyes. “So, when you came in the picture, Stone, I damn near lost my mind… You were… _perfect._ Everything from your voice, to your character, to the way you treated others I… I became _obsessed_ with you. So, when we started hanging out… with the music and all that… I grew desperate to be accepted for what I was… And I let my emotions get the best of me because of it.” Blackstone made no move to do anything and Henry looked away again. “I’m sorry, Stone.” Blackstone simply slipped his tendrils around his Captain and pulled him into a hug. Henry sighed at the embrace. Blackstone held the Captain’s muscular frame for a few moments before speaking. “No one deserves to be inhibited the way you were, Captain. You already give up so much to ensure our safety and happiness. To not ensure yours would be a crime.”

Blackstone pulled away from his Captain and gave him a stern look in the eyes. “Now look. I couldn’t care less about what people think about your… _preferences._ What matters to me the most is that you’re happy. And, if that means I become discriminated too, so be it. My loyalty is, and always will be, to you and you alone.”

Henry sighed. “Oh, Stone. You’re so good to me…” The two continued staring at the sky for long until after the sun had set, and it was in that moment, Blackstone asked. “Captain… This… _bond_ of ours… What would it be considered among your people?” Henry knew exactly what it was called but didn’t want to say it. He didn’t want to have it all be taken away from him again… _But this is different._ Henry smiled as he replied. “I believe what we have is a love of our very own.” Blackstone internalized that statement, what it implied, and what it promised. “Very well…” He could feel Henry’s heartbeat quicken, heard his breathing seemingly stand still, sense the fear trying desperately to continue to hold onto its perch within Henry and Blackstone knew that he wanted… no… _needed_ to hear him say something… So he did. “I love you, Henry.” At those words, something inside of Henry’s chest cracked open, and all at once it felt like a burden, he’d been carrying his whole life had been lifted from him as he released a shaky breath. It was in that sweet silence that he thought about how far he’d come, how much the two of them had gone through just to hear those words, and it dawned on him that Blackstone needed to hear it just as much as he did. As the two stared at the stars that twinkled in the distance, Henry’s voice stood out amongst the nighttime sounds like a haunting solo. The kind that sticks with you for all eternity.

“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gasp* 
> 
> THey said it! 
> 
> It's official ladies and gentlemen!
> 
> My work here is done! They're OFFICIALLY in love!
> 
> That marks the end of this story for now. I really wanna focus on the third work in this series because i'm REALLY excited for it. I'll add more slice of life chapters here as bonuses and give them cute lil titles or something but for right now, it's on to Work number 3!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to request other adventures you want my Skeld crew to go on in the comment section! Like last time, I cannot guarantee a consistent upload schedule but I will try to shoot for at least one chapter a day!


End file.
